Spike.



I PATENTED SEPT. 10 1907. J. MoNEIL.

SPIKE. APPLICATION FILED \TUHE 3. 1907.

Witnesses:

Attorneys UNITED STATES JOHN MeNEIL, OF RESERVE MINES, NOVA SOOTIA, CANADA.

SPIKE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed June 8,1907. Serial No. 376,982.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN MCNEIL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Reserve Mines, county of Cape Breton, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Spikes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railroad spikes.

The object of my invention is to provide a spike which may be looked under a projecting part such as a railway rail, and which may be unlocked so that it may be withdrawn.

My invention consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, I have illustrated one form of embodiment of my invention, in which drawings similar reference character designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spike showing this application to a railway rail and tie; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a front elevation; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section; and, Fig. 5 is a plan view of an unlocking key.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the spike provided with a head 2 and a point 3. The rear side of the body 1 is provided with a longitudinal recess 4 in which is disposed a tongue 5 having its lower end 6 secured in the groove 4.

The body 1 is provided with a downwardly extending opening 7 at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body 1 to permit the insertion of a member 8 when the spike is driven into the tie 9.

In the operation of locking the spike it is first driven into the tie 9 with the tongue 5 disposed in the groove 4. After being driven home, the member 8 is inserted into the opening 7 and the tongue 5 is forced away from the body 1 adjacent its top, as shown in Fig. 1. In this position the tongue 5 locks beneath the under surface of the base flange 10 of a railway rail or similar part.

To unlock the tongue 5 I provide a tapered key 11 having a head 12 and an offset lug 13. The tapered key 11 is driven under the rail to slightly raise the same and the lug 13 is forced against the tongue 5 which is thereby driven back into the groove 4. The

spike may then be easily withdrawn in the usual Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A railroad spike comprising a body, a tongue having one end secured to the body, and means permitting the tongue being bent away from the body at one of its ends.

2. A railroad spike comprising a body provided with :1 slot, a tongue having one end secured to the body and being arranged in the slot, and means permitting the inseri'ion of an instrument for forcing the opposite end of the tongue away from the body and out of the slot.

3. A spike comprising a body, a tongue secured on one side of the body and having one end free, and an opening through the body adjacent the free end of the tongue.

-l. A spike comprising a body, a tongue having one end secured to the body and having a free end, and said body being provided with an opening therethrough arranged at an angle to its axis and extending to a point adjacent the free end of the tongue.

5. A spike comprising a body having a longitudinal slot in its rear side, a tongue disposed in the slot and having its lower end secured to the body, and said body being pro vided with an opening intersecting said slot at its upper end.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN MCNEIL.

Witnesses HECTOR McNnIL, Jon W. MACNEIL. 

